Manacle.



PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

A. L. NELSON.

MANAGLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1904.

Httornegs Witnesses UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT QEEicE.

AXEL L. NELSON, OF OTTUMVVA, IOXVA.

MANACLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,761, dated December 27, 1904.

Application filed March 14, 1904. Serial No. 198,105.

To all lull/opt it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL L. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of VVapello and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Manacle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to manacles, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is arranged for convenient manipulation to snap the clamp members upon the wrist and which is also capable of ready adjustment to lit the device to wrists of different sizes. It is furthermore designed to provide for automatically locking the clamp members and also for conveniently releasing said members to separate the sane and release the device.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a manacle embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. et is a sectional view on line a 41 of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The present device is preferably formed of metal, so as to be strong and durable, and comprises a bifurcated or substantially U-shaped head 1, which is provided at what will be termed its outer end with a pair of integral reversely-disposed arcuate handle members 2, which are disposed at substantially right angles to the plane common to the sides of the head. At the inner end of the head the opposite sides thereof are provided with corresponding longitudinal slots or openings 3. A pair of reversely-disposed arcuate clamp members are carried by the inner end of the head,

each clamp member having its inner end pro vided with a reversely-bowed shank portion 5, which is provided with an arcuate slot 6. The slotted shank portions of the clamp members are fitted within the bifurcated part of the head 1 and are connected thereto by means of a pivot-pin 6 piercing the sides of the head and the shank portions of the clamp members at a point beyond the inner ends of the slots of the head. An adjusting stem member 8 is slidable end wise through an opening 9 in the outer end of the head, the inner end portion of the stem being laterally enlarged or flattened to fit between the shank portions of the clamp members and provided with a longitudinal slot receiving the pivot-pin 7 so as to permit slidable movements of the stem and also guide the latter. The inner end of the stem is provided with a cross-head 11, which works in the slots 6 of the clamp members and the slots 3 of the head, the opposite ends of the cross-head being provided with enlargements or guards 12, working at the outer sides of the head and designed to prevent endwise displacement of the crosshead. pin which is passed through the head and the clamp members after the latter have been assembled, the guards 12 being applied after the cross-head has been fitted in place. By this arrangement of parts it is apparent that the clamp members may be swung upon their pivotal connection 7 by moving the stem 8 back and forth. To facilitate the moving of the stem, a suitable knob or handle 13 is fitted to the outer end of the stem, and a helical spring 14 embraces the outer portion of the stem and bears in opposite directions against the handle 13 and the adjacent end of the head 1.

To lock the clamp members at any adjustment, there is a yoke-shaped catch member 15, which embraces one edge of the head 1, with its opposite ends pivotally supported by the pin 7, which also constitutes the pivotal support for the clamp members. The inner edge of this catch is provided With a beveled projection or finger 16 to cooperate with ratchet-teeth 17, formed upon the adjacent edge of the stem 8. By this arrangement the finger 16 of the catch 15 is designed to snap This cross-head is in the nature of a into engagement with the ratchet-teeth, and thereby lock the controlling-stem against endwise movement in an outward direction,which also locks the clamping members against separation upon their pivotal support as a center, while at the same time permitting of the stem being forced inwardly to draw together the clamp members. A suitable spring 18 is employed to yieldably hold the latch in engagement with the rack or toothed portion of the stem, and a stop projection 19 is carried externally by the head to limit the outward swing of the catch.

In using the present manacle the catch 15 is first released, so as to permit the spring 14: to force the stem outwardly, and thereby separate the clamp members to their limit, after which thehandles 2 are grasped by the fingers, with the knob 14 in the palm of the hand, as indicated in Fig. l in the drawings, and then by closing the hand the stem will be forced inwardly, whereby its cross-head 11, working in the slotted portions of the shanks of the clamp members, will tend to draw together the latter, the catch 15 cooperating with the ratchet-teeth 17 to lock the stem against outward movement, and thereby lock the clamp members against separation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A manacle comprising a head, a pair of clamp members having reversely-bowed shank portions pivotally connected to the head and provided with arcuate slots, and an endwiseslidable stem carried by the head and provided with a projection working in the arcuate slots of the clamp members to swing the same upon their pivotal support, the head and stem having handles for simultaneous manipulation.

2. A manacle comprising a slotted head, a pair of clamp members having shank portions pivoted within the slot of the head and provided with lapped reversely-disposed arcuate slots, and an endwise-slidable stem working in the slotted portion of the head and provided with a projection working in frictional engagement with the walls of the slots of the clamp members, the head and the stem having handles for simultaneous manipulation.

3. A manacle comprising a bifurcated head having corresponding slots in its opposite sides, a pair of clamp members having spaced shank portions pivoted within the bifurcation of the head and provided with reversely-disposed arcuate slots, and a stem piercing the closed end of the head and working endwise between the spaced shanks of the clamp members, said stem having a cross-head working in the slots of the clamp members and the sides of the head.

4:. A manacle comprising a bifurcated head, handle members projected at opposite sides of the closed end of the head, clamp members having shanks pivoted within the bifurcation of the head and provided with reversely-disposed arcuate slots, an endwise-slidable stem piercing the closed end of the head with its inner end working in the bifurcation and provided with a projection working in the slots of the clamp members, a handle upon the outer end of the stem, and a spring embracing the stem and bearing in opposite directions against the two handles.

5. A manacle comprising a head, clamp members pivotally carried thereby, an endwise-slidable stem carried by the head and connected to the clamp members for swinging the same upon their pivotal support, a portion of the stem having ratchet-teeth, and a springpressed yoke-shaped catch member pivotally embracing the head and cooperating with the ratchet-teeth of the stem.

6. A manacle comprising a bifurcated head having opposite handle members at the closed end thereof and the sides of the bifurcated portion being longitudinally slotted, a pair of clamp members having spaced shank portions pivoted within the bifurcation at a point between the slots and the handles, said shank portions having reversely-disposed arcuate slots, an endwise-slidable stem piercing the handled end of the body with its inner end working between the shanks of the clamps and provided with projections working in the slots of the shanks and the head, a portion of the stem within the bifurcation having ratchetteeth, a spring-pressed yokeshaped catch pivotally embracing the head and in cooperative relation with the ratchet-teeth, a handle upon the outer end of the stem, and a spring embracing the stem and bearing in opposite directions against the two handles.

In testimony that I. claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AXEL L. NELSON.

Vitnesses:

E. G. MooN, E. A. Prr'rs. 

